Method of treating aluminous materials and products thereof.



A. G. HIGGINS. V

METHOD 0F TREATING ALUMINTOUS MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS THEREOF.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1906. RENEWED MAY 29,1908.

' Patented Mar. 30, 1909.

ill

" To all whom it'may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALDUS G. HIGGIN S, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

NEE-THO]? OF TREATING- ALUMINOUS MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS THEREOF.

Specification of Letters Ilatent.

EEa'tentedMarchSO, v1909.

, Application filed-March 20, 1906, Serial No. 307,090. Renewed May 29, 1908. Serial 1%. 435,691.

Be it known that I, ALDUs C. HIGGINS, a

. citizen'of the United States, residing at VVoroester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Treating Alummous Materials and Products Thereof, of which the following is a specification. i 1

The ob'ect of this invention is to prepare an abrasive by the fusion of an aluminous material, as, for instance, an. anhydrous or hydrated oxid of aluminum, and the subsequent coolingor chilling of the product intoa pig or ,mass of exceptional toughness and great hardness, 1 Y

For a full understanding of my invention reference is madeIto the accompanying drawing showing several forms of furnacesuitable for carrying my method into effect.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of furnace; Fig. 2 is a horizontalsection of the'same on line 2,-2 of Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of a-modified form of furnace.

The form of furnace herein showncomprises a movable hearth 1 having a-refractory ed or lining 2 preferably of carbon, surrounded by ametallic trough or base-rin 3 which serves to collect the water used for cooling or chilling. the product as hereafter described. The shell or furnace casing 4 may be constructed of boiler plate or sheetiron, and is separable from the hearth, lugs 5 being provided for lifting it-therefrom. The

shellis preferably inwardly inclined toward; its upper end as shown. Cooling or chilling of the roduct is effected by water supplied througfi perforated ipes 6 surrounding the upper portion of t e shell and supported t ereon by lugs 7; the perforations in pipe 6 are arranged to direct the water'against the shell 4 in such manner that it flows down the inclined surface thereof in an unconfined stream or film, to be collected by the basering 3 and discharged through a suitable waste ipe 8.

The ace shown is of the arc type, having stationary electrodes 9 de endmginto the casing in position to heat t e charge or material therein. The method is the same in the case of bothof the furnaces shown and is as follows: The aluminous'material is cone tinuously or intermittently fed to'the crucible and is fused therein by the heat of-thearc or arcs, the crucible being in the meantime gradually lowered, as, for instance, by means of a direct plunger hydraulic elevator, the plunger of which is shown at 10. During this operation Water is discharged through the perforated pipes against the shell or casmg 4 in suchmanner .as to cool or chill the Y molten mass in the crucible and to provide conditions underwhich the said mass solidifies into an exceptionally tough and very hard pig, suitable for use .in the manufacture of abrasives, and for other purposes. I have discovered that such chilling or cooling as is here indicated is necessary in order to secure the mostsatisfactory product, and that the product .so obtained 1s distinctly different from and superior to that roduced by permitting the mass to cool s owly during the descent of the crucible, the chilling or cooling of the mass conferring upon it increased toughness, the term toughness being here use to indicate resistance to crushing. The water serves moreover to protect the shell 4 against injury by overheating, the solidified roduct protecting the-shell from the highly heated or fused mass in the vicinity of the are, as set forth in my prior patent No. 775,654, issued November 22, 1904.

At the end of the run the shell is lifted off and the pig or solidified product can be moved from the hearth by a. suitable hoist, the furnace being immediately assembled and placed in operation.

My method can be carried into eflect in furnaces of other types than those shown, the essential feature of the method bein that the fused mass should be cooled or chil ed into a tough pig or mass. I refer to construct the furnace in the form 0 a relatively long and narrow chamber as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, a number of electrodes 9 being rovided proportionate to the length of the c amber. As will be readily understood the cooling or chilling effect of the water u on the product when, as is usually preferre it is permitted to solidify in the furnace, is more nearly uniform in a furnace of this form than in the case of a round hearth as shown in Fig. 3 or in my rior patent above referred to, particularly 1f the round furnace is of large dimensions;

a product of. satisfactory character may be obtained, however, in a furnace of this con struction.

I claim;

1-. The method of making a material suitable for use as an abrasive, which consists in fusing an aluminous material, chilling the e mace fused product in the furnace into a pig or 1 toughness conferred by chilling as distin 20 mass, and crushing the mass;

2; The method of making a material suitable for use as an abrasive, which consists in fusing an oxid of aluminum, chilling the fused product in the furnace into a pig or mass, and crushing the mass.

3. The method of making a material suitable for use as an abrasive, which consists in fusing an aluminous material, chilling the fused product in the furnace into a pig or mass of practically uniform character throughout, and crushing the mass.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a material suitable for use as an abrasive, produc'ed by fusing an aluminous material and chilling the fused product in the furnace into a pig or mass, the said material characterized by its abrasive properties and by the superior gulshed from slow cooling, substantially as described. r

5. As a new article of manufacture, a pig I or mass of practically uniform character and suitable for use in the preparation of an 25 abrasive, produced by fusing an aluminous material and chilling the fused product in the furnace into a pig or mass, the said material characterized by its abrasive roperties and by the superior toughness con erred by chill- 30 7 ing as distinguished from slow cooling, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' ALDUS O. HIGGINS.

Witnesses:

EUGENE A. BYRNES, J. B. HILL. 

